Dear Friend in Waiting in Longing...

Truth be told I've had many a list of  longings.

One that has been repeated over and over and over in the 12 years of our marriage is finding our next home. (We've now lived in a total of 4 states with a total of 6 moves for various reasons and seasons of life together)

Once again, after long last, (and plenty of worry and anxiety mixed in as well) we've found our next home sweet home.

Upon moving to Minnesota about two years ago we knew that our initial lease agreement would be for a temporary 2 year time frame.  Located in an urban area, it was centrally located for hubby to pursue work at several area schools as a professor.  Our eldest was blessedly accepted into an amazing private Christian school nearby.  Though urban living has a few charms, the closer and closer the time came for us to begin seeking housing elsewhere, the more we were longing for a home in more 'family friendly' area.

Our hope was to find a home still not too far away from the city, but within a school district that we'd feel comfortable enrolling our children in the public school. 

That period of uncertainty of where we would be next seemed so long and the search quite arduous.  One afternoon, before settling down during my preschoolers nap time to do my 2nd web search of the day I literally asked God to guide my search.

That very day, I came across an absolutely lovely home on an amazing property in a very well respected school district. 

{amazing view from the back of the house...}

{huge back yard that expands all the way through a little wooded area to the lake}

And for an extra dose of blessing, the owner let me help pick out a paint color for the main living area that will be applied before we move in!

I'm hoping it will be a slightly lighter version of this:

Source: decorpad.com via Heidi on Pinterest

We couldn't be more thrilled!!

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

~Ephesians 3:20

What are you waiting in longing for?
Has the Lord ever supplied something beyond what you could have hoped for in the first place?

Sincerely,

Dear Mommy In Need of a Fresh Mindset,

here's a few gems on pursuing a mindful attitude that have encouraged and spurred me on recently...

* * * * * * * * * * * *

~ Under The Sycamore

"I’ve grown up knowing that what comes out of my mouth is a reflection of what is in my heart. When there is good in my heart, good comes out of my mouth. I’ve always thought about it related to my words, but recently I’ve been thinking about it regarding my eyes. Or more specifically, the way I see the things around me. When my heart is in a good place, I see the overflowing goodness around me. I see the good first. When my heart is in a bad place, well I certainly don’t see the good around me first....

  what flows out of me is a reflection of what is inside of me…."

* * * * * * * * * *

~ To Overflowing

 "Unless I diligently stop and run into him, I will internally tear down those I love. I will entertain lies and justify my rights. So I have to pause and press into the Real."

* * * * * * * * * *

 ~ Inspired to Action

"When we are frustrated and angry, our responses are not going to bring about righteousness in our children. Being mad doesn’t teach our children anything except that “if Mom can fly off the handle, so can I.”
Be like Jello, absorb their emotions and frustrations, filtering them through prayer. If we can’t respond in LOVE, tell them we need to calm down and postpone response."

* * * * * * * * * * 

  “They won’t remember all the things you did with them, 

but they will remember how you made them feel.”

~via lara williams @ inspired to action

* * * * * * * * * *


5 Weeks of Discipline  ~ The Mind  @ Women Living Well:

Elizabeth Elliot writes: “A simple and orderly life represents a clean and orderly mind.  Muddled thinking inevitably results in muddled living.  A house that is cluttered is usually lived in by people whose minds are also cluttered, who need to simplify their lives.  This begins with simplifying and clarifying their thinking.  Mind and life need to be freed from the “disorder of the unnecessary.”

There is a lot of wisdom packed into this little quote, so let’s break down this quote and apply it to our own lives.


“A simple and orderly life represents a clean and orderly mind.”

Would you say you are leading a SIMPLE and orderly life?  The reality is  – life in 2012 is extremely complex.  We own more things and have more food, church and career choices than any generation before us.  We have more voices speaking into our lives through computer technology than ever before.  Life is complex…and it’s affecting our ability to think clearly.

“Muddled thinking inevitably results in muddled living.”

Because our thinking has become muddled by so much information – our living has become muddled.   If we are not filtering all of the information we read through God’s word – we will lack the peace of God that will guard our hearts and minds that Philippians 4:7 speaks of.

“A house that is cluttered is usually lived in by people whose minds are also cluttered, who need to simplify their lives.” 

Look around your house  – would you say it’s simple or cluttered?  Elizabeth suggests that a house that is cluttered usually (there are exceptions to this) is lived in by people whose minds are cluttered.  So if you are not the exception and you live in a cluttered house – the solution to get some clear thinking back is to declutter.  But how and where do we begin?

 “This begins with simplifying and clarifying their thinking.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Mindset for Moms (ebook by Jamie Martin of Steady Mom)

"I wanted to be a mother; I believed this was an important part of my mission in life…and yet.

Yet I also sensed a restlessness inside, an exhaustion, a discontentment. What could I do to enjoy my life more – this life that was exactly what I said I had wanted for so long?

In time I realized that much of my negativity stemmed from my thinking. I slowly discovered that my happiness had less to do with my circumstances and more to do with my thoughts about those circumstances.

As I began to learn how to choose my mindset with more intention, I found that much of my life also started to change…from the way I felt physically, to the way I handled challenges, to even the home we now live in."

What inspires a mindful attitude for your mothering heart??

Sincerely,

Dear Fellow Night Owls,

i've never been as consistent with an early morning quiet time as I'd like...

 a natural born night owl, i repeatedly find it difficult to turn off the light at a favorable hour to encourage an early awakening.

 however, i KNOW that spending intentional time in the word and in prayer (even just 15 minutes!) can be so influential in producing a mindful approach to my days...

 seeking guidance & peace ~ preparing my mind & heart for whatever may come my way.

 

"My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you..."

~Isaiah 26:9

do you spend time with the Lord regularly in the mornings??

Sincerely,











additional resources:

'I Will Seek You In The Morning'  {a compilation of Scriptures about starting your day with the Lord}

inspiredtoaction.com/resources/hellomornings/

 7 Ways to Wake Up With Motivation

Dear Friend in Pursuit of Purposeful Living,

i've been trying my best to live with a little more intention, lately...

to make a conscious choice about not only how i think, but how i spend my time and where/how i give my attention.

i just adore this lovely print by sarah jane studios

it's hanging right next to my workspace to give me a daily visual reminder -

you can print one for FREE too!

sincerely, 

~ Heidi